Most notable political story of the day in the...>

UK: Most notable political story of the day in the UK is the gov'ts announcement

that the national living wage (the minimum wage) will rise by 6.2% in April

2020, to Stg8.72/hour. 

- The move is a clear signal of the gov'ts intention to shift economic policy to

the left in an effort to retain the support of working class voters across

northern England and Wales that shifted from Labour to PM Boris Johnson's

Conservatives in the 12 Dec general election.

- British Chamber of Commerce has come out against the move, saying that

"Raising wage floors so far above the rate of inflation will pile further

pressure on cash flow and eat into training and investment budgets," and that

costs for firms must be offset elsewhere. 

- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that "an increase of this magnitude"

means companies may be less inclined to take on new employees.